


guard dog (of all your fever dreams)

by viii



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Resident Evil - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Crack Crossover, Don't take any of this seriously, M/M, nanowrimo crack, so much crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-11-08
Packaged: 2019-01-31 00:43:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12664806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viii/pseuds/viii
Summary: When Chris and Piers are in China fighting the war on bio-terrorism, they find they encounter a lot more than just monsters of this world.





	guard dog (of all your fever dreams)

**Author's Note:**

> so between playing copious amounts of xbox and watching the shit out of marvel movies to procrastinate nanowrimo, i wrote this crack. this is not to be taken seriously at all. it is crack in the worse degree. you have been warned. also, i would never force a beta to read this, so i own all mistakes.

The B.O.W. is larger than anything Piers had expected it to be. Chris has told him various stories of what kind of monsters they should expect and the best rifle to use but none of that matters when it comes to dealing with it in the flesh. He promptly forgets everything Chris has ever told him and whips out his assault rifle, emptying his entire round into the B.O.W.'s face.

"Great, now you've just pissed him off!" Chris shouts, taking off to the left and he ducks behind a stack of c-cans. Piers wants to follow him but he takes off to the right instead, trying to load his chamber as he moves.

The B.O.W. is mostly confused, torn in which way to go. He lets out of a furious roar and winds his chainsaw arm up. Piers winces; he has no desire to come in close range with that.

"How do we beat this guy?" He hollers.

"I'm working on it," Chris says and his voice sounds much closer than it did before.

Piers peers around the corner to see Chris running in circles around the B.O.W., firing carefully when an area of weakness is exposed. Piers whips his grenade launcher off from his back and loads it with an acid round.

"Fire!" He shouts, tilting the gun back, aiming it up with the soft spot of the B.O.W.'s belly. Chris runs for cover. Piers bites his bottom lip in concentration and fires. There's a burst of light and an explosion.

When the smoke clears, the B.O.W. is lying on the ground, dragging its limbs along as it tries to crawl. Piers loads another round.

"That's working, Piers," Chris calls to him. "Hit him with another one!"

"I would _really_ advise against that," a low, silky voice whispers in his ear and Piers drops his gun with a startled cry.

"What the fuck?" He shouts, whirling around to see a tall, skinny man standing beside him, munching on a golden apple. His black hair is swept dramatically back and he's wearing black leather pants with a long sleeves green shirt. He's leaning against the side of a building with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"I really wouldn't," he says again. "Perhaps he's drawing energy from it?"

"Captain!" Piers calls, immediately sliding his grenade launcher on to his back and he lunges forward, ready to attack, to rip the head from whatever this _thing_ is -

With a shimmer and a soft pop, the figure disappears, only to reappear across the street from Piers. The figure is frowning.

"I am trying to help you," he grouses impatiently. "Attacking me is considered impolite, is it not?"

"Chris!" Piers shouts again because for a moment, he's convinced that he's hallucinating, that he's gone completely off the deep end. He's seen too much, he's lived too much and his mind has just quit. Piers doesn't blame it.

"Kind of busy!" Chris yells back at him. He's running frantically around the monster with his knife, trying to penetrate the knife where ever he can. The B.O.W. is growling in protest but its limbs have stilled.

"See, if you hadn't done your little abracadabra bit then I would have assumed you were just a cocky civilian that should know when to evacuate," Piers says, pulling out his hand gun and he sets sight on the man's forehead, gripping his wrist to steady his aim. "Now though? I may not know exactly what you are, but I know you're some sort of mutated son of a bitch that is gonna taste lead!"

The man smiles as Piers fires his gun. Seconds before the bullet connects with his brain, there's a shimmer of light again and he disappears into the shape of a black crow. The crow twists his head out of the way and takes off in flight.

The bullet imbeds itself in the wooden street light.

Piers swears and looks wildly around but the crow is either long gone or out of sight. Piers wheels around and runs back to Chris, who has finally managed to kill the B.O.W. He's covered in sweat and blood, a bleeding cut above his eyebrow and a long gash in his bicep. He's glaring at Piers over the B.O.W.'s body.

"What the fuck was that?" Chris demands, wiping black blood off of his knife and he tucks it away in its holster.

"What was what? Did you see that guy? I have no idea what kind of mutation he is, but it's something powerful, considering he can disappear and shape shift."

Chris blinks at him. "Did you hit your head?"

"No?" Piers reaches up and checks his head carefully, just to make sure. His fingers come away dry. "I don't know where he went, but he might be coming back - "

"You were talking to the side of a building while I was getting my ass handed to me," Chris says, irritating lacing his voice and making it sharp and brittle. Piers is used to this kind of tone directed at him so he doesn't take it too personally.

"What, no, did you not see that tall, skinny guy?"

"I saw B.O.W. trying to eat me alive and you talking to yourself!"

Piers begins to feel a little worried. Maybe he was hallucinating. He bites his bottom lip and scrubs his hand over his face. "No, I swear, Captain. He was _right_ there - "

Piers breaks off as he sees the figure standing under a distant lamp post, wearing a smirk that is visible despite the space between them. He doesn't bother to say anything to Chris, he just furiously begins to round, his boots slapping down on the wet pavement and he has his gun drawn and ready to fire at that cocky motherfucker -

The figure disappears again.

Piers skids to a stop and swears loudly, panting hard and he bends over, resting his hands on his thighs. He can hear Chris coming up behind him.

"You want to tell me what that was about?" Chris doesn't sound amused.

Piers hesitates before he shakes his head. "No," he decides. He doesn't want Chris to know how crazy he's going. "No, let's move out."

Chris studies him for a moment before he nods his head and heads to the left. Piers glances around the deserted street, his eyes falling on the figure once more. He tightens his jaw and turns away, falling in line after Chris.

***

The next time he sees the figure, he's laying on a dusty couch that is making his allergies flare up. Chris is in the back bedroom, passed out for the past three hours. It's been pouring rain the entire day and after the sun had set and the power had gone out and they hadn't been able to see in front of their faces, Chris had agreed they could find shelter in an abandoned condo building.

They had crept in silently, the grounds outside are covered in zombies but it's impossible to see without a flashlight and that just attracts them further. So instead, they had stolen inside the condo building and jimmied the locks on a random door. They had pushed a bookcase against the door to solidify it and had checked all the windows (covered in steel bars). It was pretty much impenetrable and with that knowledge tucked away in his back pocket, Chris had retreated to the back bedroom to take a much needed nap.

Piers had taken up watch on the couch, idly reloading his weapons, bored out of his mind. A sliver of moonlight shines through the kitchen window, bathing the room in a pale light that gives him enough to see, if he squints hard enough. He looks up from his sniper rifle when he hears a throat being delicately cleared.

"Jesus," he mutters, his hand snapping the chamber shut and he leaps to his feet. "How did you get in here?"

"Midgardian walls cannot keep me out," the man says, shrugging a thin shoulder. "It is foolish that you thought it would."

He has a point, but Piers refuses to acknowledge it. Instead, he narrows his eyes and aims. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't shoot you right now."

The man laughs, low and neatly. "If I recall correctly, and I assure you that my memory is far more prudent than your own, it didn't end well for you."

Piers glares. "What do you want? Why are you following us?"

"I am Loki of Asgard," the man says, his upper lip curling. "And I would prefer for you to _butt the fuck out_."

Piers blinks at the sudden aggression. "I don't what Assgard is," he says, tightening his grip on his gun. "But the BSAA sent us here so unless you're creating or participating in bio-terrorism, we have no beef with you."

"Oh, what a relief," Loki says sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "And it's _Asgard_ , not Assgard, you dismal half wit."

"Whatever," Piers says. "Look, I don't know how you got in here - "

"Again, it is highly entertaining that you believe a thin slab of wood would be capable of barring me entrance," Loki smirks. "Don't stray from the point, little boy. I do not _care_ how you wonder about my appearance. I want you to take heed to what I am saying and stay out of this."

"Out of what, exactly?" Piers really wishes Chris would wake up. Although Chris isn't any quicker on his feet when it comes to a battle with words, and he suspects that's what this is. "Bio-terrorism? Sorry, that's not an option. I swore a vow."

Loki laughs again. "That's nice. Anyway, you can disregard me, if you please. I was simply warning you that should you continue on your 'mission'," he actually uses air quotes on that, "you will perish and die. The choice is yours, obviously."

"Obviously," Piers repeats. "Sorry, but I'm not about to let a skinny... wizard tell me what to do, especially when I have strict orders from the BSAA."

"I'm not a _wizard_ ," Loki sniffs haughtily. "If you have a death wish, that is up to you. I wouldn't necessarily peg you for a warrior but I suppose I can see it now," he cocks his head and studies Piers, his eyes far too perceptive for Piers's liking. "I suppose a warrior's death is as honorable as your kind can get."

"I'm getting Chris," Piers finally decides, moving warily from his spot by the couch and he heads towards the dark hallway.

Loki disappears. Piers swears again.

Loki reappears right in front of him, planting hands so cold that Piers can feel the ice through his melee vest on his chest and he shoves him back. "Get _back_ ," he snarls.

Piers swings and cracks his shoulder with the butt of his gun. A look of surprise crosses Loki's face and then he just looks _pissed_.

"Oh shit," Piers mutters, swinging the gun again but Loki holds out his hands and bright, green light explodes from them, sending Piers flying backwards, crashing into the wooden bookcase, turning it into kindling. The breath is knocked out of his lungs and he desperately scrambles at his vest, ripping it off so the pressure is removed from his chest and he's able to suck in a gulp of air.

There's no way Chris didn't hear that, Piers knows that while they're on missions, Chris has trained his body to constantly be alert and he can be drawn out of sleep with the slightest noise.

"See, this is why you should listen to me," Loki says and Piers would mistake the tone for being sympathetic if he wasn't looking so damn smug.

Piers struggles to his feet, rubbing the center of his chest where it still throbs. He can feel splinters of wood in the back of his arms, pinching the skin uncomfortably. He doesn't know where his gun is.

Loki turns and neatly steps around Chris, who had run out of the bedroom with his gun and a wild expression on his face. It doesn't lessen as his eyes drink in the sight of Piers and the broken bookcase.

"What the fuck happened?" He demands, his hair sticking up in several different directions. Under other circumstances, Piers would have a little laugh. And possibly take a picture and sent it to Hunnigan. Right now though, he just lets out a pained noise before he tries to speak again.

"He did it," he waves a hand in the general direction of Loki.

Chris spins on the spot and looks around the room hastily before turning his gaze back to Piers, confusion written all over his face. "Who?"

"What do you mean who?" Pier practically roars, shoving his finger in the direction of Loki again. "Him! He's standing right there!"

"Piers..." Chris's voice takes on a gentle tone that Piers doesn't like because he's heard Chris use that tone before too; he uses it on the soldiers that are falling apart at the seams.

Piers is just fine, thank you very much, minus the splinters in his back and the splitting headache he has.

"Oh, did I not mention that you're the only one who can see and hear me? I can't believe it slipped my mind," Loki says. "So sorry about that."

“There is... a guy,” Piers says, stumbling to his feet and he points to Loki once more. “He's all magical and shit. Can you really not see him, Captain? I swear I'm not crazy.”

Chris turns and dutifully looks where Piers is pointing, his brow furrowed as he concentrates. He eventually just shakes his head though. “No, Piers, I'm sorry but I don't see anything.”

“I'm _not_ crazy,” Piers says vehemently, doing his best to ignore Loki who is making a green flame lick between his fingers with a bored expression on his face.

“Go lie down,” Chris says, stepping closer slowly, being cautious like he thinks Piers is a wild animal that will start. He holds his hands up. “Go sleep for a bit and I bet you'll wake up feeling better.”

“I...yeah, okay,” Piers says, giving Loki a parting glare and he disappears down the hallway to the bedroom. He's surprised their location hasn't been compromised yet, but condo buildings have always been built better than apartments so perhaps nothing heard them.

He closes the door most of the way and crawls into the bed. The sheets are still warm and they smell of Chris's sweat. It's a comforting scent and Piers lets it envelop him as he drifts off into a restless sleep.

***

The condo is quiet for the next hour. Chris had waited ten minutes before he had gone back and checked on Piers, but he was a mound under the blankets and already snoring so Chris had tip toed out of the room, feeling odd footed.

He had drunk from his canteen, the water warm but it was still moisture to cake his dry tongue so he couldn't complain too much. Once he felt hydrated, he open his tin of tuna and spread it on hard crackers, chewing quietly as he leaned against the back of the couch and just let himself _relax_.

He should have known that would be his first mistake.

He had just taken a rather large bite (Chris liked to do everything largely) when there was a flash of smoke and a tall, skinny man with shoulder length black hair stood in front of him. Chris promptly choked on his cracker. The man gave him a thin lipped smile and leaned forward to steal a cracker.

“Hello,” he says, friendly enough, but warning balls are still going off in Chris's head and he grabs his gun, swinging it wildly and connecting with the man's hip.

He winces, as if the pain irritates him, and grabs the gun, wrenching it out of Chris's grasp with surprising force. “What was that for?” The man demands. “Why must you promptly react with _violence_? You remind me of someone I once knew that has a shockingly low IQ.”

Chris goes to argue but pulls himself up short. Did this man just insinuate that Chris has a low IQ? Granted, Chris wouldn't be able to tell you what IQ stood for, but he wasn't _stupid_. You didn't become a Captain within the BSAA so quickly without having some sort of sense.

“I'm not dumb,” he retorts.

The man laughs humorously. “That's what the oaf says as well, but between you and I, we both know better, don't we?”

Chris vaguely suspects he's been insulted again. He frowns further. “I don't need to ask how you got in here, since you are obviously able to shape shift and whatnot. Where did you learn this from? Did Wesker teach you?!”

The man raises an eyebrow at how high Chris's tone gets. Chris flushes slightly.

“I do not know this... Wesker,” the man says the word like it tastes rotten in his mouth, “that you speak of. I am going to assume he is of Midgard, like yourself, and therefore, I am sure I would learn nothing from him as I am a god.”

“A god?” Chris isn't religious in the slightest so he's not sure what the most popular faith is these days. Perhaps this man is some sort of religious nut? “Are you Catholic?”

A peculiar look crosses the man's face. “Am I.. what? No, never mind. I don't think I want you to answer that. I am Loki.”

“Loki,” Chris repeats, rolling the word around on his tongue. It's fun to say. It sounds oddly familiar on his tongue. “Loooki,” he says again, drawing it out.

“Stop that.”

“Anyway, _Loki_ , what do you want? Why are you stalking us?”

“What makes you think I am stalking you?”

“I'm going to assume that Piers has been able to see you all along. You know, it's not really nice to make Piers feel like he's going crazy. As soldiers, we deal with a lot of different situations and Piers has seen a lot of shit in his life.”

“Yes, it's all just so fascinating here,” Loki rolls his eyes. “I assure you, anything you've seen on Earth is nothing compared to what exists in the other realms.”

“Realms?” Chris has no idea what a realm is.

Loki blinks back at him. “It's a little worrisome at how much you have accomplished in your life when you are, simply put, fucking stupid.”

Chris glares, that was _definitely_ an insult. “What do you want? We're on a mission and unless you're here to help, back off.”

“Of course I'm not here to help you in your little mission,” Loki snorts delicately. “Why would I help you destroy the monsters I am creating?”

“You?” Chris lunges off of the couch. “You're working with Simmons?”

“You mean Derek? He's a lovely fellow, if you're into the whole mentally unstable thing,” Loki says. “He has a rather clever mind. Again, he reminds me of someone I once knew, although I have to admit, Tony Stark was _always_ much more impressive in his quips than Derek could hope to be.”

Chris pauses. “Tony Stark? You mean... Iron Man?”

“Yes! Man of Iron, or what have you. You've heard of him, all the way over here then?”

“Well, I'm sure they have, but I'm not Asian,” Chris says slowly. “I'm from New York, I'm well used to the Avengers.”

Loki growls at that. “Don't say that dirty word in my presence again.”

“Is there a point to this madness?” Chris finally says, feeling exhausted despite the fact that he had been allowed a few hours of sleep.

“It's not _madness_ ,” Loki hisses, clearly offended at the implication that he is anything less than mentally stable. “It's a thing of beauty, you see. You mortals are just so predictable in your attempts to remain superior when in fact, you really, truly, are not.”

“I remember the last time you tried to take over this world,” Piers's sleepy voice comes from the hallway and Loki turns to face him. “It didn't end well for you, did it.”

“That's who he is!” Chris snaps his finger as the pieces fit together in his brain. “Loki, brother of Thor! The crazy guy who tried to destroy New York a couple of years ago. I _knew_ there was something familiar about your name.”

Loki preens. “I did put a rather fair sized dent in it,” he says smugly.

“Phone Hunnigan,” Chris says out of the corner of his mouth.

Piers doesn't respond, he's already dialing. Chris steps side-way so he's standing within reach of Piers. Piers doesn't look up from the phone, instead, he just hands him another gun.

Loki looks curious at the exchange. “Who is this Hunnigan, you speak of?” He asks. “Is he anyone I should be afraid of?” He stifles laughter at that.

“Hunnigan is a woman,” Piers says as he lifts the phone to his ear.

“Oh,” Loki says, his disappointment clear. “Definitely nothing to fear then.”

Chris frowns, he doesn't appreciate the sexism. Jill and Claire are extremely tough and more than capable of taking care of themselves. There are plenty of brilliant, evil women in the world. Chris would like to see Loki paired up against Ada, she never seems to run out of lives.

“This is quickly becoming tedious,” Loki says with a frown. “Whatever you do, avoid area K12 tomorrow.”

He disappears in a flash.

Chris sighs and rubs his forehead. They can't keep him out and they can't seem to get any sort of straight answer out of him, either. Piers is murmuring low to Hunnigan, whose voice is raising in pitch until finally Chris can hear her, despite how Piers is holding it tightly against his ear.

“Loki? As in the Norse god that tried to destroy New York?!”

Chris takes the phone from Piers. “What's area K12?” He asks sharply.

There's silence on the other line, static crackling in his ear before Hunnigan finally speaks. "How do you know about Area K12?"

"Loki advised us to stay away from it," Chris says, although privately, he's debating whether or not Loki's logic is reliable.

"He told me not to shoot the B.O.W. with another grenade though, saying it would draw strength from it, when it was the opposite," Piers interrupts. Chris holds the phone out so Hunnigan can hear him better. "I think Loki _wants_ us to go to Area K12."

"Well, you can't," she says flatly. "That's classified information. You shouldn't even know it exists, let alone know that it's in China and within your general vicinity."

"Are you kidding me?" Chris demands. "We have a Norse god stalking us around, I think we're entitled to know. Why continue to give him the upper hand?"

"You're going to have to speak to someone above my pay grade if you want access to that kind of information," Hunnigan says. "Give me an hour; I'll see what I can do. I make no promises and don't be surprised if bloody Captain America shows up or something."

Piers makes a face at that comment as Chris hangs up. Chris tucks the phone away into his pocket and looks at him curiously.

"What? You don't like Captain America?"

"The whole Super Soldier ideal is one I can't really buy," Piers says, shrugging his shoulders and he rubs the sleep from his eyes. "I would think a title like that should go to someone like you."

Chris's chest clenches and he can't stop the fond smile he gives Piers. He loves this kid, Piers is like a younger brother to him. Chris reaches out and rubs his head affectionately. "You're nice to say that but I think Captain America could kick my ass if he really wanted to."

"That's the thing though," Loki says smoothly from the doorway of the kitchen. He's eating another apple. "He wouldn't want to kick your... ass, as you say. You'd have to be doing something exceptionally naughty to provoke such a response from him."

Chris credits himself on not jumping this time. Instead, he sighs resignedly; they're not going to get anymore sleep tonight. He turns to look at Loki.

"You're back," he says.

Loki's eyes slide over to look at Piers and he gives him a slow curve of a smile. "I never left," he says. "I stand by what I say though; you really ought to avoid Area K12. There is... let's see if I can put it in a way that you'll understand - _shit is going down_."

Piers can't stop the little laugh that slips out. Loki has been proper in his speech so far but hearing him say things like shit is a tad humorous. Chris doesn't laugh.

“You're involved in Area K12 then,” Chris says.

Loki takes a little bow. “That would be accurate,” he says. “And since the pair of you enjoy bringing down anything I create, I've made sure to make something that is far beyond your skill or comprehension. No, you will not be able to bring down this monster I have created. Therefore, it is best if you stay away.”

“You know we can't do that,” Chris is already shaking his head. “We have a job to do and if you're going to interfere with that, then we have to get involved, that's all there is to it.”

“You can not win this one, Captain,” Loki says, low and serious. “It will mean your death, should you come.”

“We have a job to do,” Chris repeats determinedly.

“Even at the certainty of losing your comrade here?” Loki's eyes swing to look at Piers. Piers stares back at him balefully.

Chris doesn't look at Piers, he keeps his gaze focused on Loki. “Yes,” he says. “Even then.”

“Very well,” Loki shrugs his shoulders. “You won't want to come to Pier B then and take a boat across the way to the underwater factory, which is also K12. Fantastic hiding spot, no?”

He disappears before either Chris or Piers can respond. Chris clenches his jaw and shakes his head, frustrated. He sets his gun down and sits back down on the couch.

“What do you want to do, Captain,” Piers asks softly.

Chris knows Piers doesn't want to die, hell, he doesn't want Piers to die. However, they have a job to do and they both know the risks. They wouldn't be so accomplished within the BSAA if they didn't take risks.

“Go back to sleep,” he decides. “I'm going to call HQ. I'll wake you in two hours and we'll go from there.”

“Okay,” Piers says but he doesn't return to the back bedroom. Instead, he sits down on the couch beside Chris and leans his head back, closing his eyes. His breathing evens out slowly until his head droops to the side and he's asleep.

Chris knows he can't be comfortable but he doesn't complain. He's thankful for Piers's intuition, Chris doesn't really want to be alone right now. He pulls the phone out of his pocket and dials.

***

The sun hasn't risen yet by the time they're making their way to Pier B and trying to find a boat that has enough fuel to take them across the canal to the underwater factory. The roar of the boat's engine seems too loud in the early morning but Piers only has to snipe three zombies and the rest of the way is quiet.

They pull up to a wooden dock and tie up the boat although personally, Chris is doubting they will need it. The whole area reeks of something suspicious and Chris isn't positive he can get them both out of there alive. He hopes he can.

They blow the lock off to a set of steel doors and pull it open. The hinges protest, creaking loudly. They could use some oil.

Thunder rumbles in the distance.

Chris pulls on the heavy door, and it slams shut behind them, pitching their world into complete blackness. Piers makes a small noise in the back of his throat and Chris automatically reaches out and squeezes his shoulder reassuringly. He knows Piers hates the dark. Piers shifts under his hand and then suddenly they're bathed in the pale light. Piers had found his flashlight that was in his pack.

They move quietly down a staircase, Chris isn't sure what kind of monsters lurk within the underwater tomb they are descending into. However, he's on his guard because if Loki has anything to do with this, Chris is sure they will encounter _something_ , and he's certain it will be horrific. 

Loki isn't called the God of Mischief for no reason.

“Feel like I can't breathe,” Piers grumbles beside him. “It's because I know we're underwater now.”

“You're okay,” Chris says reassuringly. He can't have Piers wigging out on him, not now. “Just take a deep breath.”

He can hear Piers suck in a breath beside him, holding it for a ten second count and then exhaling it slowly. His voice sounds a lot more confident afterwards.

“Thanks, Captain.”

He doesn't respond, he just keeps propelling them forward. The sooner they can figure out what the hell this Area K12 is, the sooner they can leave. He had phoned HQ and had told them in no uncertain terms that he and Piers were checking it out. They had tried to dissuade him, saying it was classified and threatened him with discharge if he proceeded but once he had explained about Loki and how he kept following them around, they had caved.

Loki was going to keep enticing them, that much was obvious. It was best to just get on with it. HQ had promised backup, but they hadn't been sure when the backup would arrive so Chris and Piers were to proceed with caution.

The stairs take them further down and Chris has to reassure Piers every once in awhile that they're okay, that they can still breathe. He does it without any prompting because he _knows_ Piers, he knows that he is still young and hasn't fully learned how to shut off all his natural instincts in the name of a mission. That time will come though, Chris is sure of it. Piers is a damn good soldier and Chris is determined to see Piers live long enough to replace Chris as Captain.

The stairs finally lead them into the bowels of the facility – there's a large open room with four different hallways branching off from it. There are dim lights on, enough that they're able to see so Piers clicks off his flashlight and stores it in his pack once more.

Chris studies the four different hallways, chewing on his bottom lip absently. They're all lit up but where each of them leads off to, he couldn't say. It's a risk to just blindly choose one and follow it, but what other option do they have?

“You have any instincts about which one to follow?” He asks Piers.

Piers shakes his head. “No, Captain, I'm flying blind here,” he says. “I'm certain that nothing good lies in any of them, though.”

“Good point,” Chris grins ruefully. “Well, let's just pick one and see where it leads.”

“Yes sir,” Piers says.

“I would recommend the first one on the left,” Loki says helpfully from behind Piers.

Chris whirls around with his gun to aim but stops himself short. Loki is gone once more and now Piers is just staring down the barrel of his gun. He lowers it and shakes his head, his lips twisting in frustration.

“Sorry,” he grits out, glaring around the room, daring Loki to show once more. Just once he'd like to get his hands on that smug motherfucker in a _fair_ fight -

“It's okay,” Piers says softly, reaching out and he lays his warm palm on Chris's forearm. “Hey, Chris, it's okay.”

The use of his actual name is so rare that it draws Chris out of his glare and he looks down at Piers. Warm eyes gaze at him and he can see the admiration in them, the obvious adoration that Piers feels for him is so obvious that Chris is almost surprised there isn't a neon blinking billboard above his head. He smiles at him.

“Let's take that one then,” he says and once more, like always, Piers follows close behind.

***

They travel quietly for the first little while, the only sound audible is water dripping somewhere. It's not a comforting sound, given that they are submerged deep in the ocean but Piers pushes it to the back of his mind. He won't let something like this freak him out; as a soldier, he has to adjust to such situations, even if they test him to the end of his rope. Somehow, he's got to find a couple more inches to hold on to.

The shrieking is the first thing that indicates not is all well ahead. Piers tightens his grip on his rifle and proceeds more cautiously, his eyes constantly scanning back and forth. The shrieks grow louder the further down the hallway they move until they finally reach a large, circular room that is filled with various tanks and a grotesque monster.

Piers has never seen such a monster before. It's a pale blue although majority of that colour is covered in black blood and yellow, pus sores that are leaking. There is a smell of rotten stench in the air and Chris gags beside him; he's always been more sensitive to scent than Piers.

It stands on two legs that are thicker than a full grown oak tree. Open sores are scattered all over the legs and Piers eyes them carefully, noting spots of weakness. The monster has a belly that hangs low, almost down to the ground and a red glowing heart that is visible from the chest cavity. The hands are large pincers, with a steel hook protruding after them.

It's on the left hook that the shrieking nose is coming from. The beast is holding up a young girl, Piers would put her age roughly around his own. The hook is impaled through her belly, blooding leaking all over the place and she is screaming and screaming. The face of the monster is just staring at her, open mouthed, yellow teeth gleaming in the dim lights and drool escaping from the corner of his mouth.

“Shit,” Chris says and Piers has to agree with the sentiment. There isn't anything they can do for her, that hook has surely pierced vital organs, she's bleeding out right before their eyes. Piers just wishes she would stop screaming.

“How do you recommend we handle this, Captain?” He asks.

“Let's try to avoid her as long as we can, I don't want to hurt her any further,” Chris's tone is always impossibly gentle when he's speaking of injured civilians and it makes Piers's heart clench.

“I don't think you have to worry about that,” Loki says from beside them. “She's going to die shortly.”

“Yes, I think she will,” Chris says, narrowing his eyes. “However, I don't want to make it worse.”

“You could help relieve her of her pain,” Loki suggests, raising dark eyebrows. He begins to stroll away from there, towards the monster who is still staring fixedly at the girl who is still screaming. “I mean, it's an option, isn't it? Your little pup here is a sniper, I would hope that he would be capable of ending her life with one quick shot.”

“Chris,” Piers says, low and desperate.

“I wouldn't ask that of him,” Chris shakes his head. “We're here to help, we don't kill unless we have to.”

“Your fellow comrades would probably disagree,” Loki says with a smirk. “I don't think you were very good at helping them.”

“Ignore him, Captain,” Piers says darkly. “He's just trying to cause trouble.”

“Now, would I really cause a little bit of trouble?” Loki says, shaking his head. “You have very little faith in me, Piers.”

The monster takes that moment to draw its arm up and he takes a mighty bite of the woman's face, peeling away half of her scalp. Blood begins to flow even more heavily to the floor and the screaming finally stops.

Loki looks relieved. “Finally, she was beginning to give me the start of a headache,” he says.

“A woman just died and you dare insult her so?” Piers shouts, taking a step forward.

Loki blinks in surprise. “Oh, was I supposed to feel sympathetic to her plight? Or remorseful? This is the one of the things I dislike about Midgard; everything contradicts everything else! This woman was brought here for a purpose and now I am supposed to feel... guilt? Shame? She carried out her duty, is that not honourable to you?”

“She died! How is that honourable?”

“I brought her here specifically to be fed to my little pet,” Loki appears puzzled. “She has done her job and look, Hoor here seems to be content enough.”

Piers glances over at the monster who is gnawing on her skull. He swallows hard to keep the vomit at bay. He curls his upper lip and shakes his head. “You're vile,” he finally says. “You brought an innocent woman here to die, there is nothing honourable in that.”

Loki shrugs his shoulder. “Oh well,” he says simply. “I've never really been honourable so I suppose one more failed attempt won't damage me too much.”

“Unbelievable,” Chris mutters.

“I don't give a shit about your little pet or whatever you think that monster is,” Piers says vehemently. “We're going to kill it.”

“I would like to see you try,” Loki says sincerely. “Should you take turns? Or do you work better as a team?”

“Forget the monster, I'm going to kill you first,” Piers snarls, striding across the room to where Loki is standing.

“Again, I'd like to see you try,” Loki grins this time, disappearing on the spot. He takes form once more in front of Piers and knocks the gun from his hand, sliding his other hand up Piers's chest. “You and I could have some fun, first.”

Piers isn't even given a chance to respond, there is a raged filled roar and suddenly the hand is gone from his chest. Loki is lying on the ground, looking delighted despite the fact that he is bleeding from his temple. Chris is charging at him again, pure fury written all over his face and Piers feels his stomach flip.

“Chris, wait, no,” he says because even though he appreciates the effort Chris is giving of defending his virtue or whatever, there's no way they can win against somebody who can shape shift and disappear. “He'll kill you!”

“Precisely,” Loki says, curving to his feet and a long, jagged spear of ice forms from his hand, which has turned a startlingly, deep blue.

There's a huge rumble once, twice, momentarily pausing everyone before the ceiling suddenly bursts apart. Piers and Chris both dive to the left to avoid the falling rubble; Loki disappears and reappears by the monster.

Once the dust has cleared (and Piers won't even acknowledge how the sound of dripping water is even louder now), there are two figures standing in the midst of destruction they had caused. Piers sees the red cape, the hammer, the red and gold armor and glowing eyes. He freezes.

“Shit, Chris, those are Avengers,” he mutters, pulling Chris back against the wall, hoping to stay invisible.

Loki looks disappointed and annoyed at their arrival.

“Loki!” Thor bellows, whipping around until he is facing his brother. He narrows his eyes and glares at him. “You swore! You swore that you would cause no more trouble here on Earth!”

“And you believed him - ”

“And you believed me - ”

Loki and Iron Man speak at the same time. Loki makes a face, Iron Man shoots a rocket at his face. Loki manages to avoid it last minute and it slams into the monster, blowing a hole in his leg. The monster, Hoor, Loki had called him, blinks down at his leg and shakes it. The leg immediately begins to regenerate and Piers feels his stomach flipping for a whole new reason; this situation is out of control.

“I'm not causing trouble, anyway,” Loki says. “I'm just having a little bit of fun. In case it has slipped the tiny molecular you try to pass off as a brain, Midgard is having a... what did you call it?” He calls over to Piers.

Thor and Iron Man both turn to see who he is speaking to.

Having no other choice, Piers and Chris step forward into the light. Chris tightens his grip on his assault rifle and Piers folds his arms over his chest, jutting his chin out defiantly.

“Bio-terrorism war,” he says. “And you're not helping. You _are_ causing trouble.”

“Really? After all I've done for you, you're going to gang up on me with _Thor_ of all people?” Loki shakes his head. “I am disappointed in you, Piers.”

Iron Man flips his helmet back to reveal his face and he frowns. “Wait, you guys know each other? I didn't think Loki was capable of making friends.”

“We aren't friends,” Piers says shortly. “He's been following us around and terrorizing us.”

“That sounds more like it,” Tony says cheerfully. "I was going to say, if Loki has more friends than I do..."

"He's working with Derek Simmons," Chris says, realizing this must be the backup that HQ had promised to send in to help. "HQ sent you?"

"Yeah," Tony nods his head at the monster. "And I can see why."

"Oh no you don't," Loki says determinedly. "Thor, Stark, you will be leaving Hoor _alone_. He is my pet and I like him."

"That is not a pet," Tony says. 

"You named him Hoor?" Thor's face wrinkles in confusion. 

"You always want to destroy everything I love," Loki says sulkily. 

"Brother, that is a cruel thing to say," Thor says before he suddenly remembers that he's supposed to be upset with Loki. "At any rate, I will confiscate him because you've been bad again. We talked about this."

" _You_ talked about this, I didn't agree to anything."

“Well... this is true...” Thor trails off. He frowns at Loki. “Well, at any rate, I'm still confiscating him. You know better than this.”

“Fine, take him,” Loki says.

“That was too easy,” Tony says.

Loki smirks. “You may take Hoor. I have plenty more that can replace him. Derek and I have been _very_ busy.”

Tony mutters something about mother of monsters but Piers doesn't ask him to re-peat it. He doesn't think he wants to know. At any rate, he is feeling very much out of his depth. A glance over at Chris and he can tell he feels the same. 

“You guys can handle Loki, then,” Chris says. “We've got a mission to do so we're leaving. Keep him _away_ from us, I don't appreciate the death threats.”

“He threatened to kill you?” Tony raises an eyebrow and makes a tsk'ing sound. “Loki, Loki, we _did_ talk about this. Killing people is bad.”

“And he tried to seduce me!” Piers interjects. 

The room goes silent at that and Piers can feel the back of his neck growing hot. Perhaps he shouldn't have said that. 

“Loki, we have also talked about seducing people,” Thor finally says, frowning at him. “I thought you were happier.”

“I _am_ happier,” Loki retorts, leaning against the monster and he pets the skin above a putrid boil lazily. “I'm having fun here in... where are we, exactly?”

“China,” Tony says, taking a step back as the monster suddenly sniffs the air and turns to look at them. “Uh, I think your little pet is hungry.”

“Nonsense, he just ate a woman,” Loki says dismissively. “He won't need to feed for at least another two hours.”

“You can't feed your pet humans, Loki,” Tony says, looking slightly ill. 

“Oh,” Loki looks confused. “Is that generally frowned upon?”

“I would say so,” Tony says, grimacing. 

“Shame, Hoor really did seem to enjoy her,” Loki says mournfully. “Poor Hoor, he's going to start to feel very unwanted soon.”

“Enough of this,” Piers mutters as Tony and Loki begin to argue the definition of unwanted. He pulls his grenade launcher off his back and loads two acid rounds in-to it. A quick glance shows that the three... weirdos, are still occupied with arguing (although Thor in his cape is more polishing the handle of his hammer than argu-ing) so Piers braces the butt of the launcher against his shoulder and fires two rapid rounds directly into the monster's chest. 

He lets out a vicious shriek as his blue skin begins to bubble and steam, splitting in half and the acid penetrates the glowing heart within his chest. Piers grabs a knife from his bag and begins to run towards the monster, ignoring everything around him, focused on nothing but the hideous beast in front of him - 

He lunges high in the air with the knife poised and ready to sink into the chest. Be-fore he can connect though, a stream of green light sends him backwards where he hits the stone wall and crumples to the floor. 

He doesn't even hear Chris screaming his name.

***

Sometimes, Tony wishes that something would come along and kill Loki for them. He knows Thor would be devastated and would probably never smile again because for some strange reason that Tony can't decipher, Thor is unhealthily attached to his brother (who continues to try and kill him and destroy the world).

Tony would miss him a little, if he's being completely honest. Loki is less psycho these days since he's been speaking to a therapist. (Tony doesn't think she gets paid enough and that says something because she gets paid _a lot_ ). Sometimes Loki will have Tony help him with a prank, usually on Bruce because it amuses him to see the Hulk come out. After having to replace various floors of the Avengers Academy, Tony had put his foot down and they had resorted to annoying Steve. 

So yeah, sometimes Loki is fun and Tony can see why Thor adores his little broth-er. He is witty and brilliant, and he has the ability of magic which comes in handy a lot of the time. However, there is also times when he feeds young girls to a monster he has created and then doesn't see what the problem is. 

And then there are the times when he cries over said monster when some pup from the army kills it. 

Tony doesn't know if he should find the situation funny or sad. 

All in all, it would just be better for everyone involved if Loki was dead. However, he doesn't think that's ever going to happen, not as long as Thor is around. Still, at any rate, maybe they can play another trick on Steve once they all get back to New York.

***

Once Piers has regained consciousness and Loki's tears have been dried and the monster's body has been disposed of, Chris is feeling marginally better about their chances of leaving the underwater facility alive. He also has a small crush on Iron Man, although he'd never admit it, and he can't bring himself to call him Tony. It just feels wrong.

He sits with Piers cradled in his lap, the gash on the back of his head has clotted and no longer drips with blood. He's awake, although he's still fuzzy and keeps sneaking peaks at Thor, like he can't believe a Norse god is in the room with him. 

To be honest, Chris can't really believe it either.

“We apologize for the trouble that Loki has gotten into,” Thor says to him, glaring over at Loki who makes a point of looking away. “He does know better and he is working on his behaviour.”

“Yeah, give him another 1000 years or something and you might be able to actually leave him alone in public,” Tony says sarcastically. 

“I bet I could do it in 500,” Loki retorts and Tony rolls his eyes. 

Chris can't stop the small smile that tugs on his lips. 

“Should you ever be in New York, please, don't hesitate in calling on us. We would like to see you both again, perhaps under better circumstances,” Thor says sincere-ly. 

Piers stumbles to his feet and Chris rises with him, keeping one hand curled around Piers's elbow to keep him steady. He reaches out with his free hand and shakes Thor's hand, trying not to wince at the strength of the grasp. 

“Thanks, we'll look you up,” he says, giving Piers a little shake. “We'll be back in the US in no time.”

“Oh, well, you will,” Loki interjects, making a face. “Unfortunately, Piers doesn't make it home.”

The room goes silent as Chris's stomach plummets in his gut. He knows Loki is a trouble maker and likes to cause mischief but surely joking about the death of Piers is too far, surely he would not do that. 

“What do you mean?” Tony finally says and he doesn't sound angry, more con-cerned, which isn't reassuring at all. 

Loki looks at them apologetically. “I'm afraid I have the ability to see glimpses of the future. By this time tomorrow, Piers will be dead.”

Piers makes a low noise but Chris squeezes his elbow hard until he quiets. He glares at Loki, feeling the rage build inside his chest once more. He wants to _kill_ him. 

“You lie,” he says, speaking quickly before Loki can interrupt him. “I don't give a fuck what you say. You're nothing more than a filthy liar and I know, _I know_ , that Piers will come home with me. He's my man and I will not leave him behind. So fuck you, Loki. Get the fuck out of here right now before I swear to God I will _kill_ you and if you say you'd like to see me try, I will really, re-ally fucking show you how well I can try - ”

“Enough,” Thor says sharply. “Do not threaten my brother, it is not his fault he has the ability to see the future. You can't hold it against him.”

“Wanna bet?” Chris snarls, clenching his hand into a fist. “If you step between us, I will kill you too.”

“Okay,” Tony says. “I thought you were crazy to try and take on one god. But threatening to kill two of them? Chris, buddy, know your limits. Even Hulk wouldn't try that.”

“I don't give a _fuck_ ,” Chris says harshly. “He's not dying and fuck you for saying that he will.”

Loki raises his eyebrows. “You don't have to believe me, I'm just telling you what I know.”

“Chris, it's okay,” Piers whispers. “If I die during the mission, well, we always knew that was an option, right?”

“No, that is _not_ an option,” Chris shakes his head. “Come on, let's go. He'll cause your death, I know it.”

“That is hardly fair to say towards my brother!”

“Thor,” Tony says quietly. “It's not completely unrealistic to assume that Loki would do such a thing, right? Give the guy a break.”

“It's not like I would personally be responsible for his death,” Loki sniffs. “It's not my fault I'm able to see the future. See if I ever help you out again.”

Chris turns to look at Loki, his face stony. “If Piers dies in this mission, I will come to New York and I will kill you.”

“Again, I would really like to see you try,” Loki bares his teeth.

“Is that a threat?” Thor demands.

Chris looks around at the three of them and any admiration he once held for them is completely gone. He tightens the hold he has on Piers still and pulls him closer, feeling the tremor that passes through Piers's body. He doesn't know if he's scared of the future or if it's the tone he's using (sometimes Piers likes it when Chris gets angry). 

“No, that is not a threat,” he says grimly, meeting each of their eyes until his gaze falls on Loki and remain there. Loki stares back coolly. “That's a promise.”

***

In hindsight, Chris realizes he probably shouldn't have made such a promise. Less than twelve hours later, Piers dies. Chris pounds on the doors to try and escape the pod, to try and convince Piers that he can bring him home, that he can fix him. Loki knows magic, surely there is something he could do for Piers. It's no use though, Piers shoots him to safety and the last of Piers that Chris sees is the determined set of his jaw and his impossibly warm eyes that say more to Chris than words ever could.

The pod surfaces the ocean and Chris finally opens the door. He should have opened them before, he should have died with Piers rather than leave him behind. The ocean swells and carries him along until the BSAA track him down. How they know he's out there, Chris doesn't know until the soldiers that rescue him tell him that Piers had phoned him shortly before the underwater facility had blown up. 

Even in his last moments, Piers had been serving his Captain. 

Chris weeps. 

After he's debriefed on the final battle, Piers's death, and the Avengers, Chris is able to go back home for a short while. Piers is from New York and so the funeral is held there. His parents are given a flag and Mrs. Nivans holds it like she would a baby. Chris is sure that she is twenty-six years in the past when Piers was fresh and innocent to this world. She lets out a hollow sob and Mr. Nivans's eyes are red rimmed and he's silent, his body wracked with grief he can't express. 

Chris weeps again.

Leon and Sherry are there and they hug him. They go back Chris's apartment in the city and stay with him because otherwise Chris will find himself down the neck of a bottle again. Sherry leave after a few days, Jake is coming to visit and the flush on her face is obvious. It makes Chris want to cry again – he could have had that. 

He realizes too late that he could have had that with Piers. 

Eventually, Leon has to leave as well and he makes Chris promise that he won't drink himself to death. Chris promises and it's only then that the fog is lifted and he remembers another promise he made. 

He smiles for the first time in a month and begins to plan. 

Chris has always been a man of his word. 

It's not hard to find the Avengers Academy if you know who to ask. And once you get there, its obnoxious and sticks out, begging for attention from anyone passing by. It's a lot like Tony himself, Chris thinks uncharitably. Still, he goes to the front door and is greeted by a security guard who stops him with a polite but firm look on his face. 

“Sorry, no tours today,” he says sarcastically. “I need your security ID.”

“I'm not here for a tour,” Chris says. He's not even going to touch on how ridicu-lous it is to have tours of your home. In Tony's mind, he's truly a god. “I'm here to see Tony.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“I don't need one,” Chris narrows his eyes. “You have a minute to tell him that Chris from the BSAA is here.”

The guard stares at him, unsure if Chris is a threat or not before he turns and speaks into his radio. The response is fuzzy with static but clear enough for Chris to under-stand – he's to be let in. He shoulders past the guard without a response and heads for the elevator. 

There's no need to push any buttons, it's completely bare and Chris looks around in absolute confusion. How does anyone get around here? Perhaps the elevator is not finished and they haven't installed the button panelling yet? Perhaps it's all by voice activation?

“Floor... I mean, Tony Stark's floor,” he says firmly. 

The elevator doesn't move but he does get a response. 

“Good morning, sir. I am JARVIS and I am here to assist you. Mr. Stark has asked that you join him on the third floor.”

“Oh, hello,” Chris says, looking around the elevator for the camera. He finally spots it in the corner and gives it a hesitant wave. 

The elevator dings and with a start, Chris realizes they've been moving seamlessly all along. Shaking his head, he climbs out. This building is too sophisticated for the likes of him. Tony Stark is waiting for him outside the elevator, out of his suit and dressed down in black pants and a long sleeve black shirt. He's holding a drink in his hand and he holds it out to Chris. 

“Drink?”

Chris hesitates, reaching for it before he pulls his hand back. “No... I often can't – I mean, no thanks.”

There's no need to tell Tony that he can't stop at one, that one drink often turns into three and then the whole bottle and before Chris knows it, he's waking up with little memory of the night before. He's not going to let himself sink back into that pat-tern. 

Piers's memory deserves better. 

And he made a promise.

“What can I do for you?” Tony takes a sip of the drink himself. “Didn't realize you were back from overseas.”

“I came home for the funeral,” Chris says quietly. “Among other things.”

“Oh, we're going to get right to that?” Tony raises his eyebrows before he shrugs. “Yeah, sure okay. Who am I to judge you on your grief process? Anyway, sorry to hear about your soldier. Piers seemed like a good guy for the hour that I knew him. A little rash, maybe, but again, who am I to judge on that?”

“Piers...” Chris decides he can't say the name, his tongue feels thick and clumsy in-side his mouth and he seems to have lost the ability to swallow. “Yeah,” he finally says. “He was a good guy.”

“I'm going to take a complete stab in the dark and assume that you're here to kill Loki like you promised, right?”

“Yes!” Chris nods his head, relieved that Tony seems to be one step ahead of him and understand what he wants – what he needs. 

“Yeah, I can't do that,” Tony dashes his hopes in one fell swoop. “Not only would Thor be pissed, but it seems unfair to me. Loki is a little shit, oh I'll give you that one. He's given me plenty of migraines but at the end of the day, Chris, Loki didn't kill Piers. We left immediately after you guys did. We weren't anywhere near the facility when it blew up.”

“Loki _did_ kill Piers,” Chris says. “He created the monster we were fighting. If it wasn't for that beast, Piers wouldn't have been injured and forced to inject him-self with the c-virus to save my life. He wouldn't have become mutated and stayed behind to die. So yes, Loki is responsible for Piers's death and he needs to own up to it.”

Tony studies him for a moment before he nods his head. “Okay, I see your point. If Loki hadn't created such monsters, Piers wouldn't have died. I can see how he would be indirectly responsible.”

“Where is he?”

Tony takes another sip of his drink, crunching on a piece of ice before he turns and begins to walk away, beckoning for Chris to follow him. Wordlessly, Chris falls in line behind him and they walk down a hallway that opens up into a massive exer-cise room with plenty of fitness machines and sparring equipment. 

Loki is sparring with a blond man that Chris doesn't recognize. He's dresses down in grey pants and a green shirt, his hair tied back and a smile is on his face. He looks happy to be fighting and it makes something clench within Chris's chest. 

Piers doesn't get to be happy anymore, Piers doesn't get to fight or spar or just _be_ with Chris. That was taken from him, taken from them both, and all be-cause of Loki. 

A rage-filled bellow rocks the room, causing the two men sparring to suddenly stop and whip around to face the noise. Chris would turn and look too to see where it's coming from but that's when it hits him, he's making the noise, he's the one angry enough to generate such a sound. 

“I thought Banner was in here,” Loki says with a laugh. 

Chris's vision swims red, the only way it does when he's really furious, when he can't climb down from the ledge he's gotten up on. 

“Loki, enough,” Tony says sharply. 

The blond man walks over to them and holds out his hand. Chris hesitates before he reaches out and shakes. The man's grip is firm without being menacing, and Chris idly thinks that his eyes look kind. 

“My name is Steve,” he says. “Tony told us about your mission in China. I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your partner.”

 _I didn't lose him_ , Chris thinks. _He was taken from me_.

“Thank you,” he says instead. “We miss Piers every day.”

Loki is studying him, his mouth drawn down into a frown and if Chris didn't know any better, he would say that Loki looked sad. Loki isn't sad though, Chris knows he can't be fooled by his acts of trickery. Loki killed plenty of people in China, even if they didn't die directly by his own hand. His tricks and his games resulted in thousands of deaths, one of them being Piers, and Chris will never forgive him. 

“I swore to you that if he died, I would come for you,” Chris said, stepping past Steve. His entire body is practically thrumming with energy, with the need to _hurt_ Loki. “Here I am.”

“You can't hope to kill me,” Loki says, impossibly gentle. “I am nearly indestructi-ble. To try so would surely mean your own death.”

“I don't want to live without him,” Chris says, and it's true. 

He's had a lot of time this past month to reflect on his relationship with Piers. He should have realized he loved him sooner, they could have had weeks, even months together before Piers was taken. But then maybe it's better to not have had a taste at all. Chris doesn't know anymore. 

“Please don't be suicidal,” Loki says and he takes a step closer to Chris, pausing at the growl Chris emits. “Piers would not want this for you.”

“You know nothing about Piers,” Chris snarls. “You don't get to say what he would and what he wouldn't want. You're not good enough to even say his name.”

“Fine, your soldier,” Loki snaps. “He would want better for you.”

“And I want better for him but it looks like we both don't get that,” Chris says. 

“I am sorry for the role I played in your soldier's death,” Loki says sincerely. “I know you think of me evil, but I do regret it.”

“So you should,” Chris says and just like that, the fight goes out of him. Loki's right, Chris would never be able to kill him. Loki would defend himself and Chris would end up dead, exactly what Piers wouldn't want. 

“I saw Piers,” Loki says abruptly and Chris's head snaps up. 

“When?”

“I went shortly after he died. I knew he would be there.”

“Where's there?” Chris demands. Perhaps Piers survived the blast, perhaps the mu-tation had spared him and he had been found and was laying in a hospital bed somewhere - 

“Valhalla,” Loki says. 

Chris stares at him. He has no idea what... Valhalla is. Why was Piers there? Is that some sort of facility that BSAA has that is so classified that even he doesn't know about it? 

“Isn't that where your dead go?” Tony asks. 

Chris has forgotten that they are not alone and turns to look at Tony before he looks back at Loki. “You mean... like heaven?”

He hopes Piers is in heaven.

“Yes, Valhalla is where our warriors go,” Loki says quietly. “Piers died an honour-able warrior's death. He has gone there.”

“How did you go – why did you go – is he okay?” Chris can't get his questions out fast enough. 

“He was pleased to see me,” Loki says and then at the look on Chris's face, he quickly speaks again, “His first words to me were asking after you. He misses you terribly.”

Chris blinks hard. “Is he happy there?”

“Oh yes, it's hard to be sad in Valhalla. You are served the finest foods and every-thing is very merry. He is well, Chris. He told me to tell you to remember your promise to him?”

Chris closes his eyes. Piers had made him promise that he wouldn't retire, that he would continue working with the BSAA and defending the world from bio-terrorism. He made Chris promise that he would continue to serve as Captain and be a role model for the new soldiers. 

The BSAA have been contacting him for a week now, offering him missions and teams but he has continually put them off, not feeling ready. Maybe he should get back into it though, maybe if he stays here in the US he'll eventually fall into drink-ing again and he doesn't want that. 

“I remember,” Chris says hollowly. 

Loki exchanges looks with Steve and Tony before he takes another step closer to Chris and lays a hand gently on his forearm. “Piers was asking about your next mission. I had told him that you were departing soon.”

“Yeah...” Chris trails off as his mind begins to whirl. The BSAA had wanted to send him back to Edonia, back to where he had his breakdown and Piers had been the only to pull him out of it. He could go back to that tavern and re-do that night. He can have another team of men and through them, he can keep Piers's memory alive. “Yeah,” he says again, his voice warming up. “I'll be departing soon. If you ever go back, you can tell him that.”

“Good, I am glad to hear of it,” Loki smiles. “Would you still like to attempt to kill me?”

“No, I'm good,” Chris grins weakly. “Thanks though. I should actually probably go, I have some phone calls to make.”

“Of course,” Loki says, squeezing his arm before he steps back. “Take care, Chris. Please feel free to visit again.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Tony nods his agreement. “JARVIS, help Chris out of here?”

“Of course, sir,” the automated voice smoothly replies. 

“Thanks... for everything,” Chris says before turning and leaving the room the way he came. The minute the door shuts behind him, Tony whirls around to face Loki with a narrowed, calculating look on his face.

“Did you go to Valhalla?” He demands. 

“Of course not,” Loki snorts. “Why would I go visit the dead? Trust me, I have bet-ter things to do with my time.”

“You lied?” Steve says incredulously. Tony and Loki both give him an unim-pressed look.

“Of course I lied,” Loki snaps. “It worked though, didn't it?”

“Hey, well done,” Tony says sincerely. “Sometimes you have to lie to get things done right.”

Steve looks suspicious at that but he doesn't say anything. Loki gives Tony a pri-vate smile and resumes his sparring. Tony takes another swallow of his drink and laughs.

***

A plate is dropped in front of him, clattering on the wooden table. Chris takes a deep whiff of the steak and smiles, thanking the waitress. He lifted his glass and took a sip of the ice cold water he was drinking before he cut into his steak and took a bite, chewing it slowly to savour it. He had ordered it medium rare, just like Piers did, and he had to admit; it was a lot tastier than medium well.

“Captain.”

The voice breaks him from his thoughts and he looks up with a smile. Before the soldier even says anything he knows that it's another mission. He twitches in antic-ipation. 

He's ready. He misses Piers, he'll never stop missing him and he hopes that he nev-er has to speak to an Avenger (or Loki again), but for right now, he has a mission to do and a team to see through to the other side. Pushing back his chair, he stands. 

He's ready.


End file.
